Water rushes past a flooded home near Left Hand Canyon. / Brennan Linsley, AP

by Natalie DiBlasio, USA TODAY

by Natalie DiBlasio, USA TODAY

A picture of yourself in front of a raging waterfall, flooded street or heroic rescue team. It's an image that could go viral on social media.

It also could cost you your life.

Emergency officials in Colorado are fed up with the number of people heading straight to dangerous, flooded areas to get a new profile picture or score some retweets. In a time of social sharing, officials fear people will go too far for a risky, potentially viral snapshot.

"Don't risk your life for Facebook or Twitter or Instagram," says Bronson Hillard, a spokesman for the University of Colorado. " It could be the last picture you ever take."

Hillard says students were flocking to Boulder Creek - the waterway most at risk for flooding - to take photos of one another with water cascading around them.

"Sure, it makes for a great photo, but you don't know how deep pools of water are. There could be electrical wires, glass, metal, tree limbs," Hillard says. "It's not worth it."

Smartphones with cameras have made it easy to capture a moment, social media consultant Mari Smith says.

"There is a fundamental human need to know that we matter, that we belong, that people are seeing us," Smith says. "It's when our ego gets in the way and we are clamoring over each other for our five minutes of fame. 'Maybe my photo will be chosen and I'll be splashed across the front of the page of a newspaper and make millions.' You've got to put safety first."

Some news organizations encourage readers to submit their weather photos to be featured online, says Katie Garrett, National Weather Service hydrology outreach coordinator.

"We see people going out into all kinds of weather to get a photo," Garrett says. "If they get caught in it, there is a chance they aren't going to get out of it. Water is a greater force than anything we can contend with. It just takes a few inches of moving water to knock you off your feet."

Spokesman John Schulz says Larimer County has been telling people to stay home and stay off the roads, but some aren't listening.

"We have quite a few sightseers," Schulz says. "They are standing out on bridges that could be compromised. They are getting in the way of emergency personnel."

Caitlin McKenna, 27, of Boulder, snapped a photo of young boys wading into the raging water.

"I was standing on a bridge. It was pretty easy to get off of if I needed to," McKenna says. "I felt fairly safe as long as there wasn't a giant swell that went by. But right after I got down there was another flash flood warning."

McKenna says she sees "tons" of people out taking pictures.

"You have to be somewhat nervous to get excited by it, but I don't think anyone feels like they are in imminent danger," she says.

Liz Donaghey, a communications specialist for Boulder County, says her concern is that people are going to go out to take pictures and divert emergency crews from helping people who are trapped.

"We want people to stay clear of the water even if it looks smooth or low," Donaghey says. "There is a possibility of it surging at any time."

Kyle Freeman, 34, of Denver took pictures on his commute while riding his bike along the creek.

"I never felt like there was any risk at all because of how the creek is laid out, and I ride my bike there every day," Freeman says. "For the most part, if you aren't in the water or next to the water, it's just kind of a normal rainy day.

He says, "I am looking out my window now and there are four people standing on the bridge looking down at the water. ... Now a couple is taking a selfie."